Professionals with education or professional qualifications from abroad must have a permit from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority before they can use work equipment such as forklifts, cranes and earthmoving machinery in Norway.
Apply for recognition of foreign professional qualifications for forklift trucks, cranes and earth-moving machinery
Must apply for a permit from the Labour Inspection Authority
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) is the competent authority for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications for operators of work equipment with a high safety risk.
Professionals with foreign qualifications must have a permit from the Labour Inspection Authority before they can use such work equipment in Norway.
Foreign professionals must apply for a permit to use work equipment and machinery for which certified safety training is required in Norway.
This applies to the following types of work equipment:
- Gantry and overhead travelling cranes (if such use entails risk of injury or death)
- Tower cranes
- Mobile cranes
- Portal cranes
- Offshore crane
- Truck-mounted cranes with capacities exceeding 2 tm
- Lifting and stacking vehicles for goods with a permanent operator seat on the vehicle (for Norwegian classification of truck)
- Earthmoving machinery with effect exceeding 15 kW (20.4 HP)
- Professionals with professional qualifications from another EEA state or Switzerland can apply for a permit if they are in one of the following categories:
- They are citizens of an EEA state or Switzerland.
- They are a family member of a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland.
- They are not a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland, and have a permanent residence permit with the right to work in another EEA state or Switzerland (the right of residence in Norway is decided by the Norwegian immigration administration).
- They are not a citizen of an EEA state or Switzerland and are a posted worker from an EEA company (the right of resicence in Norway is decided by the Norwegian immigration administration).
- Professionals with professional qualifications from the UK (the right of residence in Norway is decided by the Norwegian immigration administration).
The rules on the recognition of professional qualifications follow from the EEA Agreement. EEA stands for the European Economic Area. The EEA consists of the EU's 27 member states and the three EFTA states (European Free Trade Association), Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The EFTA state Switzerland is not part of the EEA.
Norway has a free trade agreement with the UK that also contains provisions on the recognition of British professional qualifications.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority does not grant permits if the professional qualifications have been acquired in a state outside the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority will check your professional qualifications whether you are establishing yourself in Norway permanently or working here temporarily.
You must choose whether you want a permit for establishment or whether you want a permit to practise the profession temporarily:
- Application for a permit for establishment in Norway
- Prior declaration for temporary work in Norway
Apply online via Altinn
Use the same form in Altinn for both an application for a permit for establishment in Norway and for a prior declaration for temporary work in Norway:
Altinn is a government web portal for digital dialogue between businesses, private individuals and government agencies in Norway.
Submit your application through the Altinn portal. When you are submitting an application for yourself, you need to have an Altinn user, or you can log in using a Norwegian electronic ID.
Log in using an electronic ID
Use ID-porten to log in to Altinn. You can use several different types of electronic ID, such as MinID, BankID på mobil, BankID, Buypass or Commfides.
Read more about how to log in to Altinn.no.
You can also log in without a Norwegian national identity number or D number
If you do not have a Norwegian national identity number or D number, you need to create an Altinn user. Once you have done that, you can log in using the username and password you created.
Read more about how to create a user on Altinn.no.
Roles that have access to forms in Altinn
The following roles will have access to submit forms and read mail from us:
The role “reporter/sender” is required to fill out and submit forms.
The role “mail/archive” is required to read digital mail.
Read more about the different roles used in Altinn (altinn.no)
Authorise or grant access
Persons with the roles “main administrator” or “access manager” can
- assign the roles “reporter/sender” or “mail/archive” to others within the business
- grant access to a specific form or a single service
Gain access to a specific form or single service
If the person submitting the form is not assigned to any of the roles described above, they can be granted access to a specific form or a single service. Only persons assigned to the roles “main administrator” or “access manager” can grant this type of access to others.
The person granted limited access will not gain access to the inbox where receipts and decisions are sent.
Read more about how to grant access in Altinn (altinn.no.)
You must attach:
- Proof of nationality and identity (passport or national ID card)
- Copy of foreign proficiency certificates
- Work experience certificate (in some cases)
- Authorisation (if your employer or another person is applying on your behalf)
Please see information about documentation requirements and attachments below.
Apply by filling in a PDF form
It is also possible to apply by filling in a PDF form.
There are separate PDF forms and procedures for applying for a permit for establishment in Norway and for a prior declaration of temporary work in Norway.
If you are having trouble downloading the form, get help by sending an e-mail to info@signform.no.
The processing time is normally one month. The professional will be notified if the application is incomplete or if the processing is delayed. The application must be decided no later than three months after complete documentation has been received.
If the Labour Inspection Authority has not decided by the time limits set, the matter may be appealed to the Norwegian Directorate of Labour Inspection.
If you give consent on the form to share data, your employer may apply on your behalf.
If you are having trouble downloading the form, get help by sending an e-mail to info@signform.no.
The processing time is normally one month. The professional will be notified if the declaration is incomplete or if the processing is delayed. The Labour Inspection Authority must decide if permit shall be granted no later than two months after complete documentation has been received.
In the absence of a reply from the Labour Inspection Authority within the deadlines, the professional may provide the service.
If you give consent on the form to share data, your employer may apply on your behalf.
The completed application form, including the applicant’s contact information, is to be submitted through eDialog.
Read more about sending us letters and documents digitally.
Alternatively, the application can be submitted via mail or e-mail:
Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority
Postboks 4720 , Torgarden
7468 Trondheim
E-mail: post@arbeidstilsynet.no
Documentation requirements and attachments
If the documentation requirements have been met, the professional is granted the right to perform the profession in Norway.
The documentation requirements are the same, regardless of whether the professional will provide temporarily service in Norway, or if the professional will establish themselves in Norway.
Attachments
- Copy of passport or national ID card
- Copy of all pages of the original proficiency certificate from another EEA state, Switzerland or the United Kingdom
The documentation requirements vary, depending on whether the profession is regulated by law and regulation, or is unregulated. If the profession is not regulated in the state where the professionals acquired their professional qualification, a work experience certificate must also be attached.
If the professional has professional qualifications from the EEA or Switzerland and the profession is not regulated:
- Attach a work experience certificate showing one year's work practice with relevant work equipment from the last 10 years in another EEA state or Switzerland. The work experience may not have been acquired in Norway.
If the professional is an EEA citizen and has a professional qualification from the UK:
- Attach a work experience certificate if the proficiency certificate was issued before 01.01.2021.
- Attach a copy of the proficiency certificate if it was issued after 01.01.2021.
If the professional is a third country national (non-EEA citizen) and has a professional qualification from the UK:
- Attach a work experience certificate – only possible for a prior declaration of temporary service.
Please also see the overview below of professions requiring a work experience certificate by country.
It is only the first time we receive a prior declaration (for temporary work in Norway) from a professional that we carry out a document check. In the case of a renewal, we therefore only need a new prior declaration of temporary service without attachments.
Overview of professions which require a work experience certificate
The overview shows which professions are not regulated by country and type of work equipment (forklifts, cranes and earth-moving machinery), and where a work experience certificate is therefore required.
| Country | Forklift trucks | Earth-moving machines | Cranes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | No | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bulgaria | No | No | No |
| Croatia | No | No | No |
| Czech Republic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Denmark | No | Yes | No |
| Estonia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Finland | Yes | No | Yes, for G3, G4, G8 |
| France | Yes | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Greece | No | No | No |
| Hungary | No | No | No |
| Ireland | Yes | No | No |
| Iceland | No | No | No |
| Italy | No | No | No |
| Latvia | Yes | No | Yes |
| Lithuania | No | No | No |
| Netherlands | Yes | No | No |
| Poland | No | No | No |
| Portugal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Romania | No | No | No |
| Slovakia | No | No | No |
| Slovenia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spain | Yes | Yes | Yes, for G3, G4 |
| Sweden | No | No | No |
Employers also have a responsibility
The permit is not sufficient to use the work equipment in Norway. Employers also have a responsibility to assess whether the professional is medically fit for the work and to provide training at the workplace in the work equipment that the professional will be using.
If the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority grants a permit, the professionals must be able to present it together with their proficiency certificate.